Technologies

Combined Chemical/Biological Agent Detection by Mass Spectrometry

Reference#: P01872

Small devices that can rapidly and accurately analyze chemical and biological molecules are required by many industries. Homeland security and the medical community lead the list. Current instruments are either too large to be used as a first responder in the field, too slow in giving results to analyze large amounts of protein data, or too costly for widespread use.

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has invented and is patenting a mass spectrometer for combined chemical/biological agent detection and identification that comprises (a) a combined electron impact and MALDI ionization source for volatile and non-volatile sample analyses, respectively, (b) a mode in which both EI and MALDI sources are operating simultaneously for the detection of marginally volatile chemical and biological markers, or for increasing fragmentation, (c) an orthogonal extraction geometry that does not limit the mass range, and (d) a design that is miniatureable.